You are viewing a single comment's thread from:
RE: Week 6 debate topic - Spirit vs Letter of the law
@wwf @skycae didn't know which to respond to.
Personally I don't accept the idea of that over time comparative standards has diminished either ethically or morally.
The law books are filled with obsolete and unjust legislations whos spirit at time of writing was acceptable by the moral standards of the day.
- The Bible and Torah justified and legislated slavery which no modern reasonable person would accept.
- It was once legaly permissible to beat your wife with a rod no bigger than your thumb the spirit of the law being wives are property.
- child brides where legal and church sanctioned.
The list goes on highlighting what is arguably increased moral and ethical standards.
This super connected world we are in has increased awareness and empathy but media leads us to believe there is decay that there is a ganster on every corner and a pedophile at every window because for them if bleeds it leads and if its good its gone.
Then again perhaps my optimism exclude me from being a reasonable person
So it would depend on who is making the determination. Leaving a 'judge' to do that is one thing, but each individual also has the capacity to determine what is reasonable or not. That is where we each have a duty to make that determination and not leave it to others as that does lead to corruption. Nice argument!